If there’s one thing that matters to AFL fans, it’s their team song.
And while the famous “Cheer, cheer the red and the white” still rings out after Sydney Swans victories, the club has adopted something of a tradition of holding a mass sing-along to ‘Sweet Caroline’ at quarter time during home games at the SCG.
But the Swans upset the apple cart at their match against the Western Bulldogs last night, with the sounds of Daryl Braithwaite’s ‘The Horses’ ringing out over the SCG loudspeaker at three-quarter time.
If the club was hoping for an all-Aussie sing-along, it didn’t get the desired response, with fans at the game appearing nonplussed. Social media reflected the atmosphere:
HORSES? ARE YOU KIDDING? THE SONG HAWKS SUNG AFTER CRUSHING US IN 2014? THIS IS EVEN WORSE THAN SWEET CAROLINE! @sydneyswans #AFLSwansDogs
— Hugh Robertson (@HRobertsonEsq) June 8, 2017
Cmon guys, Sweet Caroline was bad enough, I hope you're not gonna make Daryl Braithwaite a thing #aflswansdogs
— Thingy Mcthingface (@McThingface) June 8, 2017
What's the deal with the horses song by Daryl Braithwaite at 3/4 time at the swans game #AFLSwansDogs
— Edwomble (@edwomble16) June 8, 2017
Part of the anger seems directed at the fact that ‘The Horses’ was for some time the unofficial anthem of the Swans’ rivals Hawthorn. And while even ‘Sweet Caroline’ was a controversial matchday tradition, with a petition surfacing earlier this year to protest the baseball-style sing-song, we can’t help but feel the Swans faithful will fail to be won over by its apparent replacement.
Sorry, Daryl.
